Customer Reviews

Ulysses

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Joseph Strick's Summer of Love version of Ulysses is a film that bursts with some its era's most iconic cinematic hallmarks: intellectual abstraction, Sellers-like comedy, dated provocation, and some Angry Young Man `moody-broody'-ness. But it's also based on what I - and many others - regard as the finest novel of the century, and perhaps of all time. Having mounted such a story with an unpracticed director and an unknown cast, the producers delivered a film that's dated badly, and proves largely of its time.

It is not without virtues, though, for Joyceans and otherwise. It was filmed, in luscious black and white, on location, but no effort was made to hide the relative modernity of 1967 Dublin and the post-Victorian trappings of the setting are limited to Milo O'Shea's hat. That fact alone makes the film interesting. It also boasts some amusing directorial asides courtesy of talented dilettante Strick, such as the very subtle insertion of Joyce's headlines into the newspaper scene.

Many of the performances are good, and some are indelible: Milo O'Shea is vulnerable, attractive, awkward, comic, tragic, and sometimes simply naturalistic in a tour de force performance that deserved an Oscar and remains his greatest-ever screen showing. To say nothing of his eyebrows, which spread more joy than Molly Bloom's behind. As well, TP McKenna is wonderful as a puckish, hedonistic Buck Mulligan. But most of the cast are too old for the roles they've taken, and some come off poorly, in particular a lead-footed Maurice Roeves as Stephen Dedalus. Joyce fans will likely enjoy a few of the setpieces - the opening in the Martello Tower is nicely handled, and the Cyclops chapter is agreeably deconstructed - but loathe others, especially the appallingly stiff Proteus monologue.

Those without any familiarity with the book will likely be lost, and while Molly Bloom's closing monologue is beautifully mounted, outside the context of the novel it has nothing to do with the rest of the film, and it's over a half hour long. The episode in the whorehouse is even longer, underscoring Strick's disagreeably prurient approach to the material. That being said, although this film was banned in Ireland until recently there's little in it that will offend contemporary tastes. This marks the first use of the F-word in a mainstream film, as far as I know, and there's some brief male nudity in the form of Mulligan's mulligan. The rest could play unedited on generally puritan US daytime TV.

In general I'd recommend that fans of sixties cinema and Joyceans see this film at least once, but I cannot in good conscience recommend Image Entertainment's insultingly sloppy (and absurdly overpriced) DVD. The picture quality and color is dreary, with chalky whites, fuzzy grays and pockmarked blacks. There is visible flicker in the top-right corner at all times, and even more pronounced flicker accompanying _every single edit_, especially early in the film. The dialogue is mono and muffled and there are no closed captions or subtitles, making the film a tough slog for those who haven't already memorized the (generally faithful) Joycean dialogue. Nor, for that matter, are there any other supplemental features, of any kind! The film is split up into huge, twenty-odd minute blocks, not useful for skipping.

Upsetting both Joyce fans and the Joyceless, Strick's Ulysses has always been a film without an audience. Image's lazy package, and $49 list price, aren't helping it find one.

Joyce's ULYSSES is one of the great works of literature of this century -- it is also a difficult novel to read. Most readers need help and there are various guidebooks available for this. Another way of accessing the novel is by listening to oral interpretations of it on tape or record or by watching Strick's excellent film tribute to the book. Of course, it could not be possible to get that whole massive work into a couple of hours film -- I doubt that Strick ever intended to. But this film is an excellent introduction to the book, one that I would recommend warmly.

Wonderful visualization of the basic plotline. Yes, the book does have a plot. Filmed in Dublin, so you see the towers, river, and streets. The production is done with love, for those who couldn't imagine life without this book.

The film adaptation of James Joyce's Ulysses was quite appropriate at the time it was released, 1967, 45 years after the release of the book. The novel was the most controversial and complex books of the 20th century, which involved issues of religion, sexuality, and self as it pertained to Joyce's own life. Joseph Strick attempts to interpret these core issues with the three main characters in the novel, Leopold Bloom (Milo O'Shea), Stephen Dedalus (Maurice Roeves), and Molly Bloom (Barbara Jefford). Indeed, the film reflects the Sixties with its emphasis of "free love," but not without the messiness that comes along with it. The most interesting aspect of the film shows the intelligently done Molly Bloom segment that occupies, roughly, the last 45 minutes of the film.

The cinematography is quite good. Had the film been filmed in color than in black and white, the scenes may not have been effective in conveying parts of the book. Strick does a fine job in capturing the Irish landscape with a postcard-like quality. On a critical note, the film could have received an Ingmar Bergman treatment because the novel/film involves the intricacies of religion and the human condition. However, if Joyce intended to present a humorous narrative, this film accomplishes his intentions.

Overall, Ulysses offers segments of the novel that will help one understand and visualize its main premise. It is not recommended to replace the reading of the actual novel, but rather to supplement it. The movie as well as the novel will be a challenge.

If a movie could do justice to Molly Bloom, this is it.

If a movie could skip the chapter "Nausicaa" and yet capture the longing inside Joyce's characters, the ruin of old Irish castles, the striving of Stephen Dedalus and the trippy wonder of the brothel where Dedalus and Mr. Bloom come together in a kind of mini-Gotterdammerung, this movie is it.

Joyce's ULYSSES is one of the great works of literature of this century -- it is also a difficult novel to read. Most readers need help and there are various guidebooks available for this. Another way of accessing the novel is by listening to oral interpretations of it on tape or record or by watching Strick's excellent film tribute to the book. Of course, it could not be possible to get that whole massive work into a couple of hours film -- I doubt that Strick ever intended to. But this film is an excellent introduction to the book, one that I would recommend warmly.

I was really surprised how much I enjoyed this movie. I saw it when it first came out and it was over my head. Generally the book is considered the most challenging English languague novels,but the movie was fun.

It did have that strange Modernist lack of linearity that is not
always easy to grasp. And in some ways it reminded me of the visual presentaion of "The Trial" by Orson Welles, although much more upbeat.

The Anti Semitism was so thick that you could cut it with a knife, but Bloom was an excellent character as was his wife Molly. And you could feel some people really loved the irascible character. Deadulus (the Joyce double) wasn't as fully developed, but was still effective.

The ability to visualize stream of cosciousness writing is
nearly impossible for an extended length of time, but it was a nice try. And the various omniscent narrions, while being a little too film noirish, were still effective; particularly
Leoplod's and Molly's which took up nearly half the film.

This is definitely not for everyone, but if you want to know the general points of this monumental work- and laugh a little-
Ulysses is definitely worth your time. Maybe next I'll try the book.

(ps some of the automobiles were much too modern for the time the film took place- nobody's perfect).

I owned this film on video and then purchased the DVD when it became available. The DVD has not been enhanced and the picture quality is not great. However, I think it is still worth buying for the quality of the acting performances - Milo O'Shea IS Bloom - and the fact that it is filmed on location in Dublin - although some of the scenes are not placed in the original Joyce locations. It is of course a seriously curtailed version of the novel - it would have to be to fit into two hours - and does not in any way substitute for a reading of the original. Much of the symbolism and historical references of the inner dialogue cannot be transferred onto the screen but I think the film can be a great aid to anyone reading the novel for the first time.

The best scene in my opinion is the Cyclopes episode where Bloom confronts the citizen - it is an excellent representation of Joyce's narrative and a valid interpretation of his elaborate imagery.

yes, ok, so it becomes Milo O'Shea's show and no other fine actors were available in the budget and steals the show through overacting which fails to communicate Bloom's humility (especially at the end of the Circe episode) and humanity.

Yes, so steven is nothing but a pretty boy of the beatle's early era with no more acting ability than looking constipated, unable to carry the load.

Okay, so they cut out all the best parts and all of the best lines, including of Buck Mulligan, who conducts himself as well as can be, but loses good lines. ANd okay so the BRitish production cut out all the stabs at the SASSENACH oppressive race essential to Ulysses and any Irish literature.

Still
It is the best that can be expected, a quick overview of an infinitely complex novel, and the best that will ever be achieved.

The three stars is for the transfer. I like the movie. This is the first time I've seen it since its release in the sixties. Well acted and great photography; unfortunately, the transfer simply didn't do the film justice. Molly's monologue was the highlight.